The B Line Thru France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and Austria

Command Company ‘B’ of the 11th Armored Division making a ‘B Line’ across Europe.

This fascinating map of Europe chronicles the World War II campaign of the 11th Armored Division, in particular, the route of Command Company B. Towns, rivers, and political borders are noted throughout the image, which is bisected by the bright red Siegfried Line. Shaded triangles represent progress while in combat and eleven different points are numbered within the image and explained along the bottom of the page.

Of particular interest is New Year’s Day (#5). On January 1, 1945, members of the unit executed as many as 80 German prisoners in cold blood near the Belgian town of Chenogne, allegedly in retaliation for similar massacres of American POWs by S.S. troops. No one was punished for the incident and a subsequent cover-up in the Army prevented public knowledge for decades. The village can be seen in the first inset in the lower left, one of five depicting the various areas of combat.

Compiled and drawn by Headquarters of Command Company B of the 11th Armored Division in June of 1945.